The Pet of a Pet
by Exilo
Summary: What if a pet had gained a will? What if he turned on his god? I promise it's better than it sounds, RR please. Chapter 10 is up: complete.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A New Life

Life had grown bizarre since my god was murdered. I couldn't say it had taken a turn for the worse, it had actually gotten better. Once, I lived on the streets: alone. My parents didn't want me, nor did the people in the town. My god was cruel: to her subjects, to her pet, and perhaps that's why he killed her. One night, the colossal wolf simply could take no more, and he set out to destroy his master's citadel. We all gathered in front of carnage as our god's booming voice demanded we save her. While she was a terrible deity, we had been breed to fear her. Some of the men did obey, grabbing pitchforks and axes, and rushing the beast. For a moment, he abandoned his path of destruction and turned to the warriors. Laughing heartily, he lifted a massive foot and brought it down onto five of the men. The others turned to flee. The wolf scooped them up and brought them to his muzzle: another laugh rolling like thunder out of his gullet. Nostrils distained as he smelled his quarry, before he threw one into the air and opened his huge gapping maw. He snatched the man in his teeth and began to chew blissfully. The three remaining men in the wolf's gigantic paws screamed for their lives. The beast threw each into the air, wolfing them down in a show of blood shed and entrails. Gallons of crimson dripped down to stain the surrounding gray, black and white fur, bits of bone and meat rained down onto the ground. He smiled with crimson teeth at us, and we became rooted to the ground. He chuckled, turned back to his work of destruction and began to beat on the citadel with all his might. His knuckles soon grew bloody with each hit, but slowly the stone walls of the monument began to crack. The god's booming voice demanded we fight. The wolf's ears perked at the voice and he turned to us again, the crimson tongue moving over black lips and white teeth. As if to show the punishment if we attacked, he walked forward. None moved; terrified at the titanic paws that padded over and stopped mere inches from us. The smell of death, grim and sweat rolled out of the monster's fur and struck us like a boulder. He bent down and picked up a woman with two fingers. Then, cruelly, he threw the woman up to the air and reared his head back to gobble her down. None even considered listening to the god after that.

When the citadel lay in ruins at the wolf's paws, and the booming voice had stopped pleading, the beast turned to us: a sadistic grin creeping over his face. He scooped up a human and flung her into his mouth. Panic engulfed the group, and we ran off in every direction. The wolf walk carelessly through the town, killing dozens of people with each step. For those who rushed into their homes, the beast crushed the building under foot. When the survivors rushed out into the fresh air, the beast fell to all fours. His disgusting blood red tongue skidded along the ground as he slurped up the fleeing people. Then he fell back and sat as he chewed his horrid meal: his massive tail wagging and striking surrounding houses: crushing those inside. The bits of meat that didn't tumble down the wolf's gullets, rained down onto the earth.

I was all that was left of a once buzzing population. In only an hour, the wolf creature had devoured a city of hundreds. I'd survived the massacre because I fled to the woods, rather than stay in the town. None of the people would open their doors to protect me from the beast. None of them had in lesser times: on cold nights or during rain storms. None carried about a wretch like me.

I ran with all that I could; through trees as I felt the tremors along the ground: each signaling a step of the wolf. Finally, when my heart pounded in my chest and my legs were sore and bloody from protruding twigs, the beast lifted me off the ground and brought me up to his shaggy face. He held me by my collar, his two fingers twice my size. He laughed that horrible laugh, his rancid breath blowing over me, reeking of thousands of lives. I almost gagged at the stench. "What to do with you?" he chuckled. His voice was louder, deeper, and infinitely more sinister than even my god's. It caused me more fear than she ever could. "I've had my fill of you human," he said, that crimson tongue came up and tasted me with a lick. The smell of his horrible breath overwhelmed me. I pleaded silently to die. "I could kill you," he laughed, throwing me up and down in a bizarre game of catch. Each time I flew higher and fell farther. Each time, the pain grew worse. "But no fun in that now is there? No, I'll let you live." When I fell back this time, I landed gently on the padding of his paw. He held me there, that terrible stench blowing over me each time the monster took a breath. I hesitantly sat on his massive palm. Tears swelled in my eyes. "Your parents hated you, and my god hated me. We were hated by all. But now that's changed. I was a pet, that's what you'll be. You'll be my pet."

I looked up at his massive head through the swelling tears and he wasn't grinning with that evil grin anymore.

That's how my new life started.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Spotted Cat

"Erin," said the booming voice that had grown so much kinder to my ears since that fateful day. My owner, the giant wolf who I learned was named Duke, called out my name again. "Erin."

He allowed me to stay in one of the few undamaged houses of the town. I quickly ran out of the doors and into the main square, where the great wolf slept. He was spread out through the city, using one of the crumbled buildings as a pillow to rest his great head. We had both recovered since that night, and now his fur took on a healthy mixture of grey, white and black. When I ran out from between buildings, he sat up and lowered a paw in front of me. Happily, I climbed up and took a seat on the pad of his hand. No longer did he stink of death and blood. Either the stench had faded over the months, or I was used to it. "Did you sleep well?" I asked politely.

"Very," the great wolf said, yawning. I grabbed a strand of fur as his hot breathe almost blew me off his great paw.

"What shall we do today?" I asked.

Before he could answer, a different deep voice echoed over the horizon. While I had grown accustomed to the wolf's powerful tone, this new one sent shivers down my spine. I stood up on the paw and turned to face the leopard that now prowled over the ground. Aside from the obvious differences in fur, there was another significant distinction between the spotted cat and the patchy dog. The leopard was distinctly female. Her chest was much more defined than Duke's, and she possessed shapely hips and legs while the wolf's center of strength seemed to be in his upper body.

"You monster," the new beast roared. "I will kill you in the name of my great lord: Zanniber."

Duke yawned again. "We'll we could go out fishing," he suggested, his amber eyes always on me, not on the leopard that was equal to his colossal size.

The great cat was obviously infuriated at being ignored and roared louder this time. "I will kill you, do you hear me wolf? You dare to murder your god. You will die for that crime."

Duke's massive paw moved over to the roof of the church where he gently let me down. Then, he stood up and faced the leopard. "Why do you fight?" the wolf asked.

The leopard was confused by this and stuttered for words.

"Does your god hit you? My god hit me. Slapped me when I obeyed her, beat me when I didn't. Does your god act the same?"

The leopard growled loudly. "M-my god treats me well."

"Does he hit you?"

The leopard growled again, deeper this time as she lunged at Duke. In a swift move, my master grabbed the spotted cat's paw, twisted it around, kicked her legs out from beneath her, and pushed a foot into her head. He stood there, the leopard pinned down beneath him and unable to move without a shock surging through her arm. With one hand still holding the spotted cat's arm behind her, Duke bent down to stroked the fur on her back. "These wounds are fresh. Did he slap you around to get you riled up?"

"Let go of me so I can tear your heart out," the leopard roared.

Duke twisted her limb with a horrifying pop. She roared in pain as she crawled out from beneath his grip, her arm limp beside her. With her only useable claw, the leopard again lunged forward. This time Duke allowed her claws to tear deep into his chest. I screamed out in horror from my position on the roof, as blood drops the size of my body dripped down to the ground from the leopard's claw. Duke laughed the same laugh as when he slaughtered the town. Somehow, now, it didn't seem as frightening. "I've been hurt much worse by my god, that's why I killed her. Do you want to live as a toy to him your whole life, an insignificant subservient?"

The leopard was scared; you could see it in her huge bright emerald eyes. Confused and terrified, she took several steps back, tripping over a house. Weighing several hundred tons means that what ever you fall on will be decimated beneath you. In this case, it was the blacksmith's shop. The leopard's ample butt crushed the building into hundreds of splinters. There was a whelp of pain as she sprung into the air, several pieces of wood protruding form her upper thigh, lower back, and all the flesh in between. I couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"You think that's funny you little bitch," the leopard snarled approaching me, holding her limp arm in her free hand. That familiar feeling of fear swelled inside me. A fifty foot tall walking spotted cat was going to grab me and throw me in her mouth like a jelly bean. Worse, I couldn't even run. I was trapped on the roof of a three story tall building.

The leopard reached out, her paws ready to grab and crush me. Or maybe she wouldn't: maybe she'd just decimate the whole church beneath her massive hand. The only thing stopping her was Duke, who had grabbed her long slender tail and was pulling her away from me. "You won't touch her," the wolf growled, swinging her into a building. He grabbed her around her neck and threw her into the town square. The leopard let out a painful groan.

"You still haven't answered my question. Do you want to remain your god's slave forever?"

Tears swelled in the leopard's eyes as she sat up and leaned painfully against a store. "N-no," she whimpered, sitting up and leaning against the remains of the house.

"What's your name?"

"My, my master calls me San."

"Nice to meet you San, I'm Duke." The great wolf walked over to the church and I leapt onto his palm. "This is Erin," he said displaying me to her, and I made a small curtsy. He dropped me back to the ground a few yards from the sitting leopard. I wasn't scared anymore, I knew Duke would let no harm come to me. "I dislocated your arm San, it hurts, doesn't it?"

With tears in her eyes, the leopard nodded.

Duke took a chunk of wood, about my size, and handed it to the leopard. "Bite this," he whispered as he gently took her limp arm. "And this will hurt."

With a snap, crackle, and pop, Duke relocated San's arm. The pain was so extreme, the spotted cat couldn't muster a scream, but rather breathed a gasp of agony.

Duke sat down in front of San, his legs crossed under him, his tail wrapped around his waist. "If you want to be free San, you have to kill your god."

"I-I can't."  
"Why?" Duke asked. "Are you afraid of him?"

"I-I don't know. He's my god, my master, I can't defy him."

"I thought that way once too. But I realized something. We don't need them, they need us. They need us to impose their will. They need us to protect their citadel, to convert new people. They abuse us, because they fear us."

It was odd, in all the months I had been living with Duke like this, he'd never told me why he suddenly turned on his lord.

"If you ever want to be free, you have to destroy his citadel and send him back to whence he came."

The leopard slowly began to stroke a deep wound she had on her neck. Duke hadn't inflicted that, everything he'd done was minor. They exception was dislocating her arm, which was much more painful that harmful. San looked up and rubbed her fur slowly. "Will you help me?" she asked.

"I will take care of his disciples, but you are the one who must deal the final blow. Otherwise you won't be free."

San nodded understanding.

The sun was setting and darkness was begging to take over the sky. Duke stretched and spread out: resting his head on his usual pillow of rubble. "Tomorrow we'll set you free San. Tonight, sleep; you'll need your strength."

The leopard slowly lowered to the ground and rested her head on the debris like the wolf. Hesitantly, she fell asleep, a purring snore filling the night. I hurried past her, the spotted giant, and went to sleep in one of the few unharmed houses that remained.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Freedom isn't Free

To call the battle that ensued the next day just that: a battle would be incorrect. A battle is a fight between two parties. While these two parties may not always be of equal strength, generally the two sides can do a significant amount of damage to each other. What happened to the city that housed Zanniber's citadel was not a battle. It was a slaughter.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should go back to the beginning. The day started like any other. I awakened in the master bedroom of my mansion, dressed, ate some bread and set out for the town square. It was here that I found the spotted cat, still sleeping. Duke was no were to be found, perhaps out scouting San's village. I decided to go out and feed the livestock. Our food supplies had expanded significantly in recent months. Duke summoned rain and farmed the acres of wheat, while I tended to our pigs, cows and chickens. The work was hard and difficult, but I never complained. There was always bread and meat to eat. I had never been happier.

It took the better part of the morning for me to finish my work, and when I returned to the square San was just stirring awake. "How did you sleep," I asked politely, still a little afraid of the colossal leopard.

She looked at me with sleepy eyes, and grabbed me forcefully in her massive paws. I cried in pain as she painfully lifted me into the air and threw me into her open mouth, like i would a jelly bean. On her massive tongue, I tried to stand but could get no footing on the slimy, fleshy thing. Desperately I crawled to the quickly closing mouth as the lips sealed out any light. I was too slow.

Was this how the others died? I wondered. Thrown into Duke's mouth and chewed and ground and swallowed. I didn't want to die, not like this. I didn't want to be eaten.

Suddenly I was thrust out of that dark, humid place and into the sun's bright light. I hit the ground hard, rolling for several feet before I finallystopped. I choked and sucked in fresh air and scrubbed the spit out of my hair and off my skin.

"You won't eat her," Duke roared to San, who was lying on the ground holding her stomach. The wolf pushed a foot into the leopard's neck. "If you ever touch Erin like that again, I'll kill you."

"I'm sorry," San cried. "I was hungry and tired and I didn't remember."

Duke turned to me, "Are you alright?"

I nodded shakily, the fear slowly settling into the back of my mind.

Duke released San, who slowly sat up.

"You're hungry?" the colossal wolf demanded.

"Y-yes," the great cat whimpered.

"Good."

Duke always wore a small leather sack around his waist that rested on his upper right thigh. That's where I was. While the outside was made from several tanned cow hides, the inside was padded with sheep wool, so I was safe. There was also a slit as big as my head that allowed me to watch what was happening, without being put into harm's way. Several miles outside of city, Duke turned to San. "You understand what you must do to be free of his influence?"

"Yes," the leopard whimpered, still obviously afraid of the wolf.

"You'll have to kill all his disciples, or he'll still have a foothold in this world."

"I know," San said, licking her lips. Long ago, Duke had told me that he took a liking to me because I never prayed to my god. I had lost faith in that heavenly bitch in my years on the streets, and so I couldn't sustain her.

"Then let's go."

Like most villages of the land, the one that housed Zanniber's citadel was surrounded by a lush forest. When we were several miles from the city, Duke told San they'd crawl on their bellies the rest of the way. It was a slow process, both the great creatures were forced to proceed carefully, as not to knock down a number of trees and alert the village to their presence.

When they were just on the outskirts of the city, Duke stood up and waltzed inside. From the pouch, I could see the villagers scream as the mighty wolf scooped several up and gobbled them down. San on the other hand was a leopard on a mission. She padded through the town, unconcerned with the dozens of people that she crushed under paw.

"San," boomed a great voice from the sky. "Kill that beast. Kill it now."

The leopard froze for a moment and turned to Duke, who was crushing a house with a tree. The wolf nodded his shaggy head, and San was filled with confidence once more. "No," she roared, delivering a powerful kick to a pillar of the monument.

"San!" shouted the voice. "I order you to kill him!"

San clasped her hands together and swung it into the pillar, snapping it into. Ruthlessly she began to beat upon the walls in a flurry of punches and kicks.

Duke was busy herding the remaining humans in front of the San, and forcing them to watch her deed. Any who cried for their god to save them was quickly silenced by one of Duke's crushing paws.

"San, I'm your lord, you can't do this to me," shouted the voice. Some unseen force suddenly struck the leopard's knee and she tumbled to the floor. "Kill him now!"

The leopard quickly rose to her feet and began to tear at another pillar of foundation. Another unseen force struck San, but this time she didn't fall. Every blow her god delivered only fueled her hatred and made the blows to the citadel more damaging. "San, please don't do this. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The leopard roared with delight at the power she know realized she had and delivered one final kick. The monument to Zanniber crumbled with a crash, a huge cloud of dust engulfing the city.

San turned to the group of people that Duke kept in line. A grin of hunger and bliss crawled over her face. Her huge paw swept down into the cluster of people and picked them up. Men yelled and women cried as San dropped them all into her mouth. A sense of empathy swelled in my breast as the leopard chewed the humans to a bloody pulp and swallowed. Crimson and entrails dripped from her maw.

This sympathy fled however, as I noticed a small group of people who where hiding in an alley. Their clothes where like mine once were: torn derelict rags barely covering starved and withered bodies, the contrast to the elegant robes that were worn by the pudgy humans San devoured. They were people of the streets, like I was, and the humans who the leopard savagely ate where the people who ignored them. I slowly climbed out of bag and Duke lowered a paw for me. When I was lifted to his face, I asked, "Why?"

"They don't believe," he said before dropping me back in the sack.

When San had her fill of the humans, she crushed the rest under her feet and let out a roar of ecstasy. She darted to Duke and jumped onto him. Arms wrapped around his neck and legs embraced his stomach, almost crushing the pouch I was in. "Thank you," she roared with tears of joy. "I'm free! I'm finally free."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: More to Come

"It's alright," I said slowly approaching the huddled few. "Everything's alright."

One of the women spoke up. She, like the others, was dressed in rags and clearly malnourished. She held a bundle of cloth in her arms, tightly pushing her child to her breast. "Please, don't let them hurt my baby."

"They won't hurt anyone," I assured, approaching the humans like I would our scarred livestock. San began to tap her foot in annoyance, unwittingly causing the ground to shake. A stern look from Duke made her stop. The two titanic creatures were as large as the tallest building in the town. The houses that they were currently surrounded by dwarfed them. The leopard was the only one who stood however, the wolf used a small stone building as a seat. "They won't hurt you, I promise."

The people were scared and clearly not to bright. It never occurred to them that if either Duke or San wanted to eat them, they would simply scoop them up and, well, eat them. It took several minutes, but eventually one of the men came forward into the open. When neither colossal creatures made a move, more followed.

"What do you want?" asked a man. He was afraid to look up at Duke when he asked so his head hung low.

"He only wanted to defeat the god so the leopard may be free. They'll leave, but you must swear that you will never worship another god again. If you do, they'll be forced to come back and lay siege to your city."

Duke felt sympathy for these people, knowing what is was like to be abandoned, beaten, and alone. Deep down, San felt the same. However, neither would permit another god to gain power, and thus endanger them.

Duke lowered his paw to the ground, and I climbed onto the palm. Many people gasped in amazement as I was lifted up and placed gently into the pouch. The wolf turned his back on the humans, growled, then set off for town he called home. I was about to drift to sleep inside the small bag when I noticed San was walking beside us. Sitting down and looking out the little hole, I could only see her furry thigh, rear, and tail, but I assumed it was her. How many fifty foot tall leopards would Duke allow to walk right beside him?

"Zanniber was afraid you're rebellion would inspire me," said the feminine, feline voice. "That's why he sent me to kill you. More gods will get scarred; more of their servants will come. What should we do?"

"The gods will not band together to kill us," said my master. "Their petty hatreds and dislikes will see to that. So, each god will send their own creatures to kill us. Those that want to be free, we will help. Those that don't, we will kill. It's simple as that."

"Are you sure it was wise to allow any of the humans to live?"

"No. But they lost faith in one god, and they saw what we can do. I doubt very much that they'll call forth another any time soon."

The gentle rocking as Duke walked stopped and a pair of fingers sincerely lifted me out of the sack and placed me before my mansion. "Sleep well," Duke whispered, before he and the spotted cat set out to the square where they'd sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the review Knuckles. To be honest I'm shocked anyone's reading this. Since at least one person must be, I will continue posting. If you like it or want to make any comments, drop a review. I have to admit completing this may take a while, since I'm not really sure how it'll end, but it will have an ending. Hopefully a good one.

Chapter 5: New Threat, New Friends

"Did you sleep well?" I asked politely. No matter how kind Duke was or how much affection he showed, I was always sure to show respect.

"I could get used to that," he said gesturing to the sleeping leopard. I giggled.

"What shall we do today?" I asked innocently.

"You will be destroyed," roared a voice.

We both turned to see a colossal bear, a head taller and infinitely wider than my master, trample his way through the dense forest. To his left trotted a tall, slim horse. To his right a bulky cow. At the giants' feet scurried three separate armies, each of a distinct heritage and wearing unique armor.

Duke turned to me. "Erin, I forbid you to ever ask 'what should we do today' ever again."

"Why?"

"Because, every time you do, I have to kill something."

"But you like killing things."

"Not when they can kill me back. Look at the size of that grizzly."

"Enough," roared the bear. "I am Ursur, servant of Fordic. This is Steed, servent of Comeria," he said, gesturing to the horse. "And this is Moo, servant of Humver." The cow snickered. "We have been sent by our gods to destroy you."

San stirred awake with a yawn and sat up. "What's going on?"

I leapt down onto her open paw and sat down. "More gods want to destroy Duke."

"Oh."

"You will be destroyed, godless abominations," roared the bear.

Duke stood up and walked in front of the trio. "This is the only chance you'll get. Join me, and I will help you gain your freedom. Fight me, and one of us will die."

The cow cocked her head in disgust. The bear crossed his thick arms across his bulky chest. The horse trotted straight past his comrades and extended a hoof to Duke. "Hello sir, I'm Steed."

Duke took the hoof and shook. "Hello Steed, I'm Duke. The leopard is San and the human is Erin. We will aid you in banishing your master once these two are finished."

The horse bent down to whisper into the wolf's pointed ear. "Ursur is very strong. Don't pull any punches. Take the first chance you get to end his life. Moo is strong as well, but slow. Keep your distance and wait for her to tire. Shouldn't be too long. The humans are ordered to attack if you survive, but I can handle them."

The horse slowly made his way into the square, where he lowered to one knee and kissed San's hand (the one I wasn't in). "It is a pleasure to meet you, both of you," he said smiling at me and taking a seat a distance away. Being so close, I was able to get a better look at him. He's very tall, even for a giant, with a very lank body. The majority of his fur was tan, but his mane and tail are dark brown. Despite his large stature though, he seems very gentle.

"Fine horse, you will die the same as the rest," roared the bear.

Duke lifted a paw and pointed outside the town. "Shut up and fight."


	6. Chapter 6

Well friends, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that because I have finished my Warcraft story, I can now devout my time to completing this story. The bad news, you ask? I have absolutely new idea what I'm doing. Seriously, I have no clue how I should end this. But I will finish this, mind you. I promise. It just may take a while.

Chapter 6: A Precursor of the War to Come

The fight was to be held on our fields, the same place where Duke and San sparred. I watched a safe distance away, sitting on one of Steed's broad shoulders and holding a strand of his mane for stability. Beside us was San, who gnawed on her claws nervously through the length of the fight.

The match was Duke versus Ursur and Moo together. San protested angrily, but the wolf was insistent he fight them alone. And maybe, just maybe, he had a plan all along. Already I could see tension between the bear and cow. They clearly didn't like each other and only worked together under the orders of their gods. Duke was something different entirely. He didn't fight for the favor of his master, he fought to survive.

Duke suddenly leapt forward with a kick to the bear's huge gut. Ursur reared forward, and the wolf grabbed the creature's head and slammed his knee into the bear's snout. The wolf cupped both hands together to make a powerful fist and brought it into Ursur's chin, which sent him toppling to the ground. Moo ran forward, as if she attempted to gouge my master on her horns. Duke easily sidestepped and thrust an elbow into her spine to send her to the ground. Ursur picked Duke up from behind and hoisted him onto his shoulders. Then, he allowed the wolf to freefall down to the unforgiving earth. Duke wouldn't be beaten however. He scraped into the bear's chest with a hind claw then pushed his foot into Ursur's knee. The bear roared in pain and slumped to the ground. Duke leapt to his feet and took the bear's thick neck under his arm. With a snap that actually hurt my ears, the wolf broke his opponent's neck. Moo struck Duke in the back of his head. The wolf turned swiftly and clamped his powerful jaws on the cow's neck. In an instant, red blood dripped down Moo's fat body and stained her white fur. Her eyes burst open as the jaws closed on her windpipe and air escaped her. That was it, she was dead.

Limping slightly, the wolf shuffled over in front of the human armies. Something about seeing their titans destroyed so easily must of scared them because they didn't try to attack. They tried to retreat. But all too late they discovered their exit was blocked by San, who had sat down and spread her legs around the army. Duke's heavy paws stopped mere inches from the front line of humans, who were rooted to the ground in terror. They all held their weapons out in front of them, but none dared to make a move. "Go back to your lands, humans," Duke said in a voice that made even me shake. "Tell your gods what has happened. Tell them we will come to banish them for their aggression. Go to other lands, warn other gods." Duke waited for San to rise to her paws. "Go," he roared and the human scurried off.

"You've made quiet the name for yourself," Steed said later that night. "All the god's of the land are terrified of what you've done. Some are beating their pets, which leads to fear, which leads to hate, which leads to rebellion. Others are trying to satisfy their creatures with some freedoms, like mine did."

"If your god was satisfying you, why did you disobey him?" I asked innocently.

Steed looked down at me: literally not metaphorically. "She, my god, threw me a bone as you humans say. But, rather than satisfy me, it did nothing more than deepen my hunger. I have tasted freedom, and now I cannot return to sub-servitude."

"That's why you came?" Duke asked, taking a large chunk of cooked meat in his jaws.

"Yes. My god told me I would have to kill the maverick who banished his master. I acted all to willing, but I knew if I could meet you, you'd show me the path to freedom."

Duke's lupine mouth seemed to smile. "Tomorrow, my friend, you will be free."


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you all for the reviews and the ideas. I hope you enjoy how the story is going, cause I'll try and wrap it up soon enough. Drop a review with ideas or praise._

Chapter 7: A Plan just Crazy Enough to Work

"Please," begged the god. "Haven't I always been good to you?"

Steed swung a massive hoof into the final pillar to make the citadel crumble into dust. The god's voice echoed a scream of horror before it was silenced forever. The fight was the same as always. San and Duke managed the hordes of worshipers and Steed went about destroying the temple. When he finished, all three giants took part in devouring the humans. I didn't watch. I was sitting in Duke's pouch with my eyes closed and fingers in my ears yet I could still hear the horrors. But soon enough it ended and I was brought out of the darkness and into the crisp clean air. As had been done before, we offered control of the lands to those that remained, but left them with a warning. Then, with the addition of Steed, we set out for our home.

But far away, there were beings that sought to end my happiness. Maybe they shouldn't be called beings, for they had no weren't really of flesh. I'll just call them gods. The idea of gods having contact with each other before Duke's little rebellion was unheard of. The gods, any gods, were extremely greedy beings. The only time they made contact was in the interest of expanding their influence, and this usually led to battles. The battles were fought by the god's pets. The pet's would win new lands but were never given their freedom. That's what led to Duke's hatred.

"This has to stop," growled a ball of golden light, a god.

"I agree," said a feminine voice, her shapeless form soft and silver.

"But what can we do?" said a shaky tone from a yellow orb. "Zanniber sends his pet, that monster converts her. Fordic, Humver, Comeria, they get wise. They send their pets together. But not only are Moo and Ursur killed, the horse goes to his side. What are we supposed to do? Send more of our pets? Reinforce his numbers? We all screwed."

"Afee, you pathetic little coward, stop talking," said the feminine voice, the ball of silver swelling with her tone. "All we must do is kill the wolf creature. Cut off the head, and the snake will die."

"What do you propose?" asked a feminine voice from a green orb.

"I realized long ago that simple armies and pets would never win our endless wars. So I devised a different plan. I will use him," a small bit of its silvery veil rose to expose a man.

"Humans?" the yellow orb laughed. "You must be desperate. What can he do, give the beast heart burn?"

"Afee, if you don't stop your ridiculous banter I will send my Strips to tear your citadel down brick by brick." When silence reigned, the silver light continued. "This human and his men are the fifth generation of specially educated warriors. From the moment they are born, they are trained to kill giants. They are fast, they are smart and they are lethal."

"This will never work," the yellow orb said. "This will never ever work. You're an idiot. This won't work."

"Call you pet," said the silver sphere.

"What?"

"Call you pet, its that sheep named Insta isn't it. Call her and if she can kill my human, I will grant you reign over all my followers."

"You swear?" the yellow orb demanded.

"I swear on the prayer that brought me to this world, I swear on the citadel that sustains me."

The yellow orb withdrew into itself, then expanded several times. When it retracted again to its normal size, a monster was standing before it. "Insta," he whispered, sending a feeling of joy up the sheep's woolly back. "Kill that human. Tear him limb from limb and devour what left. Smash it to dust." The sheep nodded recognition and shuffled to the man, who never moved. Briefly confused, the pet lifted a massive hoof and attempted to crush the little human. Instead, he flipped back to avoid the crushing blow, then dove onto the foot. He drew a sword and jammed it into the sheep's heel. Insta roared in pain and fell to her knees. The human leapt high into the air and grabbed a handful of the pet's wool. He then did a most amazing thing. He began to climb. He was so amazingly fast, the sheep couldn't even think to swat the man until he had gained a footing at her neck. His sword pressed ominously into her throat. Any moment he chose, he could end the pet's life.

"Call him off," the yellow orb whimpered.

The silver sphere did nothing.

"Call him off please. Don't kill Insta."

"Swear to me your followers."

"What? I-I can't."

"Then your pet will die and I will conquer your land. Your choice."

"But without followers I will lose my hold in this realm."

"I will permit a few to sustain you, in exchange you will answer to me. Now swear me you humans or I shall…"

"I swear," the yellow orb whimpered. "I-I swear on the prayer that brought me to this world, I swear on the citadel that sustains me."

"Good," said the silver sphere. The human slowly jumped down from the sheep's throat and scurried to his god where he disappeared into the light. "I will send a group of these humans to dispose of the wolf and his followers. In exchange you will all swear to me half of your disciples and resources."

"That insane," shouted the golden ball.

"My way or try to dispose of the wolf yourselves," the silver sphere said.

"I swear," said the green orb.

"I swear," said a brown sphere.

When all the gods had agreed, the silver sphere smiled, or she would've if she had a mouth. "Good."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: An Attack Too Far

It was late in a night unlike any other. The stars twinkled in the sky and the moon hung low, and the whole night was quiet. I couldn't sleep though, no matter how peaceful it may be. Something was wrong, but what, I kept asking myself. All things considered, everything was going great. There'd been no attacks for days. It seemed, that maybe, the gods would finally leave us alone.

On that night, I couldn't sleep well, so I decided to take a walk. There was a cold, undesirable feeling in the pit of my stomach, something that I hoped to cure with fresh air. But no matter how much crisp night air I drank down, the cold feeling held strong.

I don't know how long I'd just wandered, but when I came to our fields I noticed a vast silhouette against the moon. "Steed," I smiled, hurrying to him. But, as I drew in closer, I noticed something. At first it was faint and could've just been a deception of my eyes. But then I saw a glint on the Steed's shoulder, and another, infinitely smaller silhouette as well. It was a human, I realized. And he was holding something. A sword? And then I realized. He, this human, had taken Steed hostage. How or why didn't matter. All I knew was that I had to save him. I started to run. My heart began to thump in my chest and my legs hurt, but I didn't stop. When in range, I leapt and grasped the mane that ran down Steed's back in my hands. Muscle's in the horse's back began to tense as I pulled long strands of hair out, but I didn't stop. Even as my hands began to bleed from grasping the coarse fur, I couldn't stop. Not until I reached the man who wanted to kill my family. I didn't know what I was doing, but when I got a footing on Steed's shoulder, I dove forward at the man who'd taken him hostage. The assassin fell suddenly, off of Steed and down to the ground. His bones shattered with a crackled. He was the first person I ever killed.

Back at the town, Duke shifted lazily onto his side. Quiet as mice, the rest of the soldiers emerged from the town's walls and took there positions. There plan was to kill San and Duke. If that failed, they could use Steed as a bargaining chip. One of the assassins crept onto San, over her chest, and stood on her neck. The assassin unsheathed his sword and slowly pressed it to the leopard's throat. Another human was about to kill Duke when Steed's voice boomed over the landscape. The wolf awakened swiftly and, noticing the confused assassin, swept the man into his mouth and killed him with a wet crunch. The one who was to murder San meet a similar fate as the leopard awoke and swiftly dealt with her would be killer. The two remaining soldiers were swiftly killed beneath Steed's hooves, and this time I felt no remorse.

"What happened?" Duke growled.

"Attacks," Steed said solemnly. "These humans…" his voice trailed off. "They came close. If not for Erin they'd of succeeded."

Duke looked at me on my perch at Steed's shoulder and smiled. I smiled back, for once it felt like I had really helped him. But the wolf's blissful gaze quickly changed to a malicious sneer. "I'm sick of this," he growled. "If these bastards want a war, that's what I'll give them."


	9. Chapter 9

_Last chapter sucked, I know and I admit it. Truth is, I never expected this to get this far, so ideas are few and far between. Good news the three of you who read this. Its almost over. Yay! One last chapter. Drop a review please if you like._

Chapter 9: A Choice to End all Wars

Duke must've finally realized the gods would never stop. He was far too dangerous, far to inspirational to others pets to be allowed to live. And so, my master decided one night if they wouldn't stop, neither would he.

To this day I'm not sure why Duke brought me along, but not San or Steed. When she slept, he kissed the leopard gently on the head and snuck out of the town, with me perched on his shoulder. He asked Steed to protect her before we set off. I supposed some could say he brought me because he didn't worry for my safety, but I don't believe that. I think he brought me along because, with him, I was as safe as could be.

We'd been traveling for about a day when we finally stumbled upon a town. To my master's relief, a citadel was shinning in the center of the town. Duke burst into the town, dozens of humans succumbing to the crushing pads beneath his feet. "Insta," the god called out. Quickly, a sheep moved between the wolf and the citadel. Insta, the pet, attempted to tackle Duke. My master grabbed the sheep around the throat and stomach. Without missing a step, the wolf began to tear away at this new god's citadel, stopping just short of destroying the structure.

"Who is your leader?" Duke growled.

"What?" the god whimpered.

"Don't fuck with me," my master roared. "Who is organizing these armies against me? Who is your leader?"

The god talked soon enough. He told us about the goddess and her armies, and her pet and the plans she had to kill Duke. And when he was done, Duke lifted a massive to knock down the citadel's last support.

"No," cried a voice that made Duke's paw stop. It wasn't the sniveling voice of this god, but the sheepish tone of his pet. Insta stood there, cradling a wound in her side and damp wool that was colored crimson read. I was a little amazed she could stand. "Please," the sheep whimpered. "He was never cruel to me. He never hit me unjustly. He was never cruel. Just leave us alone, please."

Duke examined the whimpering sheep and the almost destroyed citadel. Without a word, he turned and padded off.

It was another two days of travel before we came to a city. Not a town. A city. A huge, walled metropolis with countless houses and towers as large as my master. It was breathtaking, truly a marvel. What a pity my master had to destroy it. Duke scaled the wall easily and crushed a house beneath his feet as he fell to earth. There were distant cries beneath him as he ran towards the citadel, leaping into the air and ramming the stone with a shoulder. Again he hit, and began to tear at it with claws. Above him, a feminine laugh rolled out of the sky, followed by smug voice. "Here to kill me wolfy?" the goddess asked. "Figure if you cut off the serpent's head the body will die?"

Duke ignored her. All he did was continue tearing at the stone.

"Before you continue with your playful antics, may I suggest you look to the west."

Duke stopped his attack and looked out to the rising sun. His raised hand fell limp to his side. His mouth fell agape. Stripes, the tiger that served as this goddess's pet, was standing there, holding a limp San by the throat. "Well wolfy," the goddess snickered. "Your move."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The End of the Beginning

"Let her go," Duke whimpered.

"Why?" the goddess asked. "She's nothing but mud. An insignificant little insect compared to my power. I should kill her just to hear her scream."

"Please," Duke whimpered. "Just let her go. I'll do anything you like."

"Really," the goddess asked, amused. "Break your own leg."

Duke looked up to the sky in shock.

"You heard me wolfy. Take a building, or anything for that matter, and hit your knee cap as hard as you can. I want to hear a snap."

"Will you let her go?" he asked.

"Yes," the voice chuckled.

"Promise," he begged.

"I swear on the prayers that brought me into this world. I swear on the citadel that sustains me."

Duke's fingers grabbed my shirt and I was placed on the rooftop of a building. I shouted for him to stop, to simply crush the last pillar on the citadel, but I must have sounded like some squeaking bug at the moment. My master extended his leg out in front of him and lifted two cupped hands high above his head. He slammed his fists down onto his leg. The deafening crack made me sick. His roars of pain made my ears bleed.

Duke lay on his back, growling in pain, his knee obviously broken in a horrid fashion. Above us, the goddess laughed. "Kill her," she said. "Kill the leopard, then the wolf, then do what you like to his little pet."

"No," Duke begged. "You promised."

She laughed loudly. "You are nothing but a flea to me. An insignificant little pup with a superiority complex. You expect me to keep my word to one such as you?" That laugh again. "Stripes, kill her."

"B-but master," he whimpered, looking down at the unconscious leopard. An invisible force struck the tiger's chin so hard, he was knocked back.

"Don't question me you insignificant little whelp or I will beat you to a pulp. Kill her!"

"Say Stripes," Duke said weakly. "Why not tip the citadel? It's barely standing as is. Hell, you blow on it and it should collapse real nice."

"Don't you dare you little cub." That invisible force struck Stripes so hard, blood dripped down his muzzle. "I raised you from the time your where born. You will do as I say."

"Destroy the citadel," Duke growled. "Destroy the citadel, raze the town, and you'll be free."

"No," the goddess screamed. This time, she struck Stripes so hard he crashed into a building. Its ironic, that since I was almost ground level, I had the best view of what happened next. Stripes lay down on the ground, apparently beaten. In reality, he was searching through the wreckage beneath him for something to through.

Above us, the sky began to storm. "You think I need some little whelp to kill you wolfy?" Lightning cackled and broke the sky in two. The clouds looked as if they'd started to burn. It would've been beautiful if I wasn't scared out of my mind.

Stripes threw a solid piece of the stone building into the citadel, causing it to crash to the ground. The goddess screamed, then all at once, her voice was gone.

_Two days later_

"You could remain here," Stripes said. "Help Steed and I free the others. You're an inspiration to us all."

Duke shook his head. "I never wanted to be a savior, a hero. All I ever wanted was to be free." My master's knee was wrapped in cloth and he was forced to walk with a crutch. I was happily perched on his shoulder, and San was by his side; helping him along.

"Well," the tiger growled. "Good luck, my friend."

"And good luck freeing more from their gods. But remember, some prefer safety over freedom. Don't force them, let them come to you."

"Words of wisdom," Steed laughed. He'd been mauled by Stripes under the goddess's orders, and now wore a sling in his arm. "Good bye Duke, San." Then he looked to me and smiled. "Good by Erin."

I smiled back.

We returned to our town; San, Duke and I, and to this day we've never been bothered. No pet has come looking for my masters, no humans to deliver a message. I don't know if Stripes and Steed succeeded in their quest to free the rest of the pets, and I probably never will. But I do know that I have a family. I may sound sick or disturbed, but I love my masters and they love me. And for the first time ever, I looks as if maybe, we can finally live in peace.


End file.
